In the constantly shifting landscape of AFL Fantasy, Centre Bounce Attendances (CBAs) emerge as a pivotal metric for assessing a player’s midfield involvement and, consequently, their impact on fantasy leagues. This past weekend’s action revealed significant shifts in CBAs, highlighting players experiencing notable increases or decreases in their involvement. Such fluctuations are crucial for AFL Fantasy coaches and football enthusiasts, signalling potential changes in roles, fitness levels, or team strategies, and providing essential insights for upcoming rounds.
Risers
Ned Long
Ned Long played ain the midfield for Collingwood on Friday night, but didn’t fire in their match-up against Geelong. Although Long has been a solid VFL scorer, this performance indicates that he might not be up to AFL standard just yet. This could also indicate that Tom Mitchell might make an instant return once he recovers from his foot injury, given Collingwood’s current lack of midfield depth.
Harrison Petty
Harrison Petty saw a significant rise in his CBAs by 44%, stepping into a backup ruck role to support Jacob van Rooyen due to Max Gawn being out. Despite this increased opportunity, Petty’s scoring didn’t really improve, managing just 44 AFL Fantasy points. Nevertheless, the opportunity is there for him to contribute more if the situation demands it.
Luke Jackson
Luke Jackson had a solid rise in CBAs by 23%, primarily due to Sean Darcy being out. Jackson capitalized on this opportunity, scoring 111 AFL Fantasy points. However, with Darcy expected to return next week, Jackson will likely revert to his forward role, resulting in fewer centre bounce attendances.
Fallers
Tom De Koning
Tom De Koning experienced a significant fall in his CBAs, with a decrease of 45%. The return of Mark Pittonet to the side pushed De Koning to play more up forward. Interestingly, the Blues seem to perform worse with Pittonet in the lineup, as evidenced by their loss against the Western Bulldogs. It will be intriguing to see how they manage their ruck setup moving forward.
Archie Perkins
Archie Perkins saw a decrease in his CBAs by 18%, mainly due to Dylan Shiel’s recent return to the lineup. This reduction in midfield time makes it challenging for Perkins, especially when Darcy Parish also returns in a couple of weeks. His role and fantasy value could be significantly impacted by the presence of these key midfielders.
Jackson Mead
Jackson Mead’s CBAs fell by 24% this week, with Willem Drew stepping back into the midfield to perform defensive jobs against the strong Gold Coast midfield. This adjustment reduced Mead’s involvement in the centre bounces.
Surprises
Zane Trew
Zane Trew came into the side with Jarrad Schofield taking the reins as interim coach for the first time after Adam Simpson was sacked. Trew has been a decent WAFL scorer, averaging 100 points there. His CBAs increased by 41% since his last game, indicating that he might be part of Schofield’s plans going forward. This makes Trew an interesting potential pickup for fantasy coaches.
Tom Sparrow
Tom Sparrow has fallen out of favour in terms of midfield rotations, with his CBAs dropping by 48%. Players like Alex Neal-Bullen are more likely to step in for tagging roles, while Kysaiah Pickett has been involved in clearance work. Additionally, Trent Rivers has been the main replacement for Christian Petracca, who is out for the season.
Preview of Advanced CBA Stats:
Analyse the CBAs from the weekend in our user-friendly tables in our premium resources section – featuring advanced analytical tools to better measure the most significant changes, seasonally and week-to-week.
| Player | Club | Pos | LG% | LG%vsPG% | Avg% | L3Avg% | LG%vsAvg% | L3G%vsAvg% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reilly O’Brien | AD | R | 80 | -4 | 87.1 | 85 | -7.1 | -2.1 |
| Lloyd Meek | HW | R | 89 | +21 | 85.6 | 81 | +3.4 | -4.6 |
| Lachie Neale | BL | C | 93 | +5 | 85.5 | 92 | +7.5 | +6.5 |
| Jack Steele | SK | C | 68 | -22 | 85.4 | 81 | -17.4 | -4.3 |
| Max Gawn | ME | R | 86 | 0 | 84.7 | 81 | +1.3 | -3.7 |
| Tristan Xerri | NM | R | 81 | -2 | 84.2 | 82 | -3.2 | -2.2 |
| Jarrod Witts | GC | R | 93 | +33 | 84.2 | 81 | +8.8 | -3.2 |
| Toby Nankervis | RI | R | 85 | +8 | 83.9 | 82 | +1.1 | -1.9 |
| Rowan Marshall | SK | R | 93 | +7 | 83.5 | 91 | +9.5 | +7.5 |
| Noah Anderson | GC | C | 80 | -12 | 83.3 | 85 | -3.3 | +1.7 |
View more CBA Analysis numbers here.
Key:
LG% – Percentage of CBAs last game
LG%vsPG% – Percentage of CBAs last game versus percentage of CBAs previous game
Avg% – Average of CBA percentage in games played
L3Avg% – Average of CBA percentage over the past three games
LG%vsAvg% – Last game CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
L3G%vsAvg% – Last three games CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
